Type-writer cabinet.



No. 852,805. PATENTED MAY. 7, 1907. T

P. J. smrs.

TYPE WRITER CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED my 17, 1906.

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No. 852.805. PATENTBD MAY 7, 1907. F. J. SITTS.

TYPE WRITER CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED mu 1 7. 1906.

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FRANK J. SITTS, OF HERKIMER, NEW YORK.

TYPE-WRITER CABlNET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. May 7,1907.

Application filed May 17,1906. Serial No. 317,270-

10 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK J. SITTs, of I'Ierkimer, in the county of Herkimer, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Type-IVriter Cabinets, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description. I

This invention relates to typewriter cabinets, and is adapted to be applied to any roll-top or other desk having knee-space beneath the top or shelf of the desk.

My main object is to be able to economically equip any oflice desk with a shiftable typewriter-support whereby the typewriting machine may be readily brought into operative position at the front of the desk, or concealed within the knee-space without necessitating any alteration of the desk or removal of any of its drawers which may be above or at the sides of the knee-space.

Another object is to construct the shift- -able support in such manner that when not in use it may be moved into the knee-space and forms, together with the sides and back of such space, a dust-proof case for preventing as far as practicable the accumulation of dust upon the typewriting machine. In other words, I have sought to provide a combination desk and typewriter-cabinet in which the entire desk remains intact, while the supporting bed for the machine is separate from, and movable to and from a position beneath the desk top, leaving the entire surface of the latter continuous or unbroken, and always ready for use without necessitating the removal of any papers or other matter which may be spread out upon the desktop when it is desired to open or close the machine-support.

Other objects relating more specifically to the structure and operation of the bed-supporting frame, and means for locking such bed in its open and closed positions, will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawings-Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of an ordinary flat top desk having drawers above and at the sides of the knee-space in which my improved cabinet or supporting; frame for the typewriting machine is mounted, said supporting frame being shown in its open or operative position for supporting the machine in front of the desk. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken on line 2-2, Fig. 1, show ing the machine supporting frame in its closed position by full lines, and in its open or operative position by dotted lines, and also showing by dotted lines the manner of depressing the frame during the operation of opening or closing the cabinet. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 33, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a similarly enlarged view of a portion of the machine-supporting bed, and means for locking and sustaining it in its open or drawn out position. Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on lines 55, Fig. 3.

In order to demonstrate the practicability of my invention, I have shown a portion of an ordinary flat-top desk having a fixed top 1; an upper drawer 2 directly beneath the top, and side drawers -3 at opposite sides of a knee-space, as 4, which in this instance is in the center of the desk directly below the upper center drawer 2, and is inclosed on three sides by side partitions 5 and a back 6*, the front of the space being left open, as usual. The upper center drawer 2is movable on suitable ways 7-which are secured to the sides 5, and form abutments for the machine bed, presently described. desk withmy improved attachment no alteration of the desk is required further than to secure to the inner faces of the sides 5 opposite parallel cleats -8 which extend from front to rear a suitable distance below the desk t0p-1and are provided with suitable lengthwise slots 9forming runways for a forwardly and rearwardly sliding frame -10 carrying a swinging machinesupporting bed 1 1 adapted to be tilted to and from a horizontal position, as best seen in Fig. 2. The frame 10 comprises in this instance, two bell crank levers arranged near opposite sides of the knee-space 4 and centrally fulcrumed upon suitable bearings 12 which are slidable back and forth upon the runways 8*. These bell-crank levers are rigidly united by a transverse bar or bridge-piece 13, Fig. 1, and each com prises an upwardly and forwardly extending arm 14 and a rearwardly extending arm 15-. These latter arms 15- are connected by a dust-cap or shelf 16 which is coextensive with the knee-space except for suflicient clearance to allow for the free action of the upright supporting frame 10, and when closed extends rearwardly into close proximity to the back 6 of said knee-space. The portion of theframe-10- at the rear of the fulcrum 12 is counter- In equipping this v balanced by an adjustable weight 17, which is adjustable toward and from the fulcrum 12- and is adapted to be supported in suitable bearings -1 8 in the rearwardly eX tending arms 15-.

As previously stated, the frame 'is fulcrumed upon sliding supports, as 12,which are slidable back and forth in the ways -8- and are provided with locking members or detents.19 which ride in the slots 9 and-automatically drop into suitable recesses -20 in the front ends of the ways 8 to interlock with a shoulder 21- and thereby prevent rearward sliding movement of the frame 10- when drawn outwardly to receive and support the typewriting machine, as shown by full lines in Fig. 1, and by dotted lines in Fig. 2. This frame -10 is provided with opposite bearings 22- at the junctions of the arms -14 and 15-, said bearings overhanging and in close proximity to the upper faces of the ways -8 so that when the front arms of the bell-crank levers are rocked downwardly, the bearings 22 engage thetop faces of the ways -8, thereby forming fulcrums for the bell-crank levers to lift the locking member 19 out of the recess '20 to disengage said locking member from the shoulder -21, whereupon the whole frame with the typewriting machine thereon may be moved rearwardly along the ways 8 with the locking members 19 riding in the slots '9-, such movement being limited by an adjustable stop 23 Fig. 2.

Pivotally mounted upon the upper ends of the arms 14 of the frame --1'O are a pair of brackets -24- upon which is slidably mounted a supporting bed l1 for the typewriting machine, not shown. This bed is provided with opposite parallel ways or guides -26- extending from front to rear for receiving the upper ends of the swinging brackets -?-l so that the bed is not only hinged at 27- to swing vertically upon the upperends of the arms --1 l-, but also has an independent sliding movement upon the brackets 24---.

The bed or shelf -]1. is co-eXtensive with the width of the knee-space and extends.

from the dust-cap or shelf l(* to the under side of the drawer 2 or top of the knee-space, when closed, as seen in Fig. 2-, for the purpose of forming the front wall of a dust-proof chamber in which the typewriting machine is held when not in use. The lower rear edge of the bed 11 is formed with a ledge -2Q which rests upon or abuts against the dust-cap or plate l6- when the bed is closed, as seen in Fig. 2, to limit the downward movement of said bed, while the upper end or edge abuts against the un der side of the ways --7 to limit the up ward rockingmoveinent of the bed and its supporting frame against the action of the bracket when drawn to its extreme forward horizontal position, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, in which position the ledge -28- abuts against the. under face of the cleats or ways -'7 to retain said bed in a horizontal position, or rather to prevent downward tilting of the bed by the weight of the machine supported thereon.

When the supporting frame and bed are moved to their operative position, shown by dotted. lines in Fig. 2, a greater portion of the bed upon which the machine is mounted is in front of the connection between the brackets 24. and arms 14 which are now nearly directly over the fulcrum -12 of the frame 10*, the weight of the machine being sufficient to overbalance the counterweight -l.7. It is now apparent that when the rocking frame 10 and supporting-bed -l1- are moved to the position just described, the frame '-10--- is locked. against sliding movement by the engagement of the locking member -19- in the recess and at the same time the bed --]1- is held against sliding movement along the ways 26 by the interlocking of the bracket 24-- in the recess '*29. Now, when it is desired to close the cabinet the operator simply engages a handle, as -?0-, and draws downwardly upon the bed, thereby rocking the frame 10 against the action of the counter-weight 17- until the rear ends of the locking members 24: encounter a shoulder 31 upon the arms 14* which operate to tilt the locking member -24- out of engagement with the recesses 29, as best seen in the lower dotted position, Fig. 2, and also in Fig. 4, whereupon the continued downward movement of the bed --ll and arms 14- causes the bearings 22 to engage the top faces of the runways S, thereby lifting the locking member --1 9 out of the recesses 20 whereupon the bed --l1 with the machine thereon, may be moved rearwardly upon the brackets --24- and at the same time the frame l0- may be moved rearwardly along the ways -8- until checked by the stops 23-. This operation brings the supporting-bed ---11 with the machine thereon, and also the frame 10- wholly within the knee-space beneath the desk-top --1-- and drawer 2--, and by retaining the grip upon the handle 30--, the bed i1* with the machine thereon is rocked to tilt down- IIO wardly upon the swinging axis --27 until the upper and lower edges of said bed. engage respectively the under side of the cleats 7 and top face of the dust-plate 16. hen in this position, the typewriting machine is practically inclosed on all sides, the bed 11 forming the front wall, the plate ].6 the bottom, and the sides -5 and back -6 completing the inclosure.

In opening the cabinet to bring the typewriting machine into position for use, the order of operation just described is reversed, that is, the operator engages the handle 30 and tilts the front portion of the frame 10 and bed -11- downwardly, until the machine clears the overhanging parts of the desk, whereupon the frame 10 is drawn forwardly until the locking member -1.9 drops into the recess and the locking member 2 l interlocks with the recess 29. The bed 1 1* and frame 10 are then rocked upwardly, aided by the counterweight 17 until the ledge 28 engages the under side of the cleat 7 at which time the swinging axis of the bed is nearly over the fulcrum 12, or sufficiently so to permit the locks 19 and 24 to hold the frame and bed in this position.

What I claim:

1. A typewriter cabinet comprising a desk having a fixed top and fixed sides forming an intervening knee space below the top, horizontal guides secured. to said sides, bearings slidable in the guides, a frame mounted to rock on said bearings and having forwardly and rearwardly extending portions disposed at an angle and in fixed relation to each other, and a tiltable supporting bed for the typewriting machine mounted upon the forwardly extending portion of the rocking frame and having a rocking slidable connection therewith.

2. A ty ewriter cabinet comprising a desk having a 'xed top and fixed sides forming an intervening knee space below the top, hori zontal guides secured to said sides and provided with recesses in their front ends, bearings slidable in the guides and adapted to drop into said recesses when drawn to their extreme forward position to temporarily lock said bearings in their forwardly adjusted position, a frame mounted to rock on said bearings and having forwardly and rearwardly extending portions disposed at an angle and in fixed relation to each other, brackets hinged to the front end of the frame to rock forwardly and rearwardly, and a ma chine supporting bed having a sliding connection with said brackets whereby the bed may be moved forwardly and rearwardly relatively to said frame.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 8th day of May 1906.

FRANK J. SITTS.

Witnesses:

LAURENCE R. CARR, WM. 0. PRESCOTT. 

